MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2020 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Senator(s) Frazier, Jackson (11th), Jackson (32nd), Jordan, McCaughn, Simmons (13th)
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THAT MARCH IS "THEATRE IN OUR SCHOOLS" MONTH TO RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE IMPACT OF THEATRE EDUCATION AND EXPRESS THE NEED FOR MORE ACCESS TO QUALITY PROGRAMS FOR ALL STUDENTS.
WHEREAS, we join the Educational Theatre Association and the International Thespian Society who have partnered with the American Alliance for Theatre and Education, to sponsor Theatre in Our Schools to raise public awareness of the impact of theatre education and draw attention to the need for more access to quality programs for all students. The goal of Theatre in Our Schools Month is to not only raise awareness inside the school walls, but beyond and into the community; to share the story of the importance of school theatre with leaders, influencers, policymakers and all community members; and
WHEREAS, theatre has a unique way of connecting people from diverse backgrounds. Theatre gives students a voice. Theatre creates shared experiences. Theatre brings us together. Theatre in Our Schools is a special time to express how school theatre has affected everyone; and
WHEREAS, Theatre in Our Schools Month focuses on the following:
• Ninety-five percent of school administrators believe that theatre experiences improve students' overall academic skills;
• High-school students engaged in Applied Drama playmaking gain an understanding of their voice as a tool for positive change in society;
• Drama instruction integrated into elementary classrooms improves students' social and emotional development and contributes to a positive classroom culture;
• Middle-school students taught lessons that integrate drama into instruction are more likely to voice their own ideas and engage in learning through active classroom participation;
• High-poverty Grade K-2 English Language Learners who receive weekly drama lessons demonstrate increased listening and speaking skills on standardized tests;
• At-risk middle-school students engaged in an after-school musical theatre program demonstrate improved confidence, creativity, resiliency, responsibility, collaboration, and sense of community;
• In 2015, students who took four years of arts classes in high school scored an average of 92 points higher on their SATs than students who took only one-half year or less;
• Middle-school teachers invested in an after-school musical theatre program gain creativity and problem-solving skills, sense of community, resilience and theatre expertise;
• High-school students who earn few or no arts credits are five times less likely to graduate than students who earn multiple arts credits;
• Middle-school students engaged in play-building learn conflict resolutions skills, greater respect for peers, and how to listen to multiple points of view;
• Reading play scripts out loud helps low-performing at-risk middle-school students become better readers, with significant improvement in their vocabulary skills, vocal projection and confidence;
• Viewing plays about significant social issues, such as poverty, can help stimulate meaningful dialogue and understanding between teachers and students;
• High-school students engaged in actor training develop a higher level of empathy, heightened understanding of what others are thinking and feeling, and are more capable of controlling their own positive and negative emotions;
• Elementary students have more vivid recall and a greater understanding of museum content when the visit includes dramatic performances by role-playing characters;
• In 2008, African American and Hispanic students had less than half the access to arts education as white students;
• Arts students whose teachers receive professional development in balanced arts assessment demonstrate significantly greater achievement than students whose teachers do not;
• Dramatic enactments of scientific concepts allow elementary students to connect to science learning through movement, language, social interaction and collaboration;
• Fourth-grade students whose language arts and social studies curricula integrated theatre into their classes are almost 100% more likely to pass a state-based language arts test;
• Eighty-nine percent of surveyed business executives participated in the arts during their school careers;
• Middle-school students who participate in drama programs are less likely to engage in risky, delinquent and/or violent behaviors;
• Only 28% of public high schools in high-poverty areas offer theatre instruction;
• High-poverty students with sustained involvement in theatre show substantial improvement in reading proficiency, gains in self-concept and motivation and higher levels of empathy for others;
• Most high-school theatre programs rely entirely on box office revenue to support their activities;
• Students from high-income families are twice as likely to participate in school plays or musicals than students from low-income families;
• Almost half of public high-school theatre programs use a gym or cafetorium as their primary performance space;
• Young adults who had arts-rich experiences in high school are more likely to engage in public volunteerism;
• Disadvantaged students in Grades 8-12 who receive an arts education are three times more likely to earn a bachelor's degree than students who lack those experiences;
• Students with high levels of arts involvement are less likely to drop out of school; and
WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we join the national and statewide education and arts community in bringing attention to this vital area of arts education:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby recognize that March is "Theatre in Our Schools" Month to raise public awareness of the impact of theatre education and express the need for more access to quality programs for all students.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be forwarded to the Educational Theatre Association, the International Thespian Society, the American Alliance for Theatre and Education and the State Board of Education for public dissemination, and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.